River Plate and Independiente Santa Fe rescheduled after 7.4 quake
After a magnitude‑7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (Conmebol) confirmed new dates for the River Plate and Independiente Santa Fe Sudamericana round‑of‑16 tie, preserving the competition while prioritising safety.
Earthquake halts Sudamericana tie
The quake hit on Monday 10 August at 07:34, with its epicentre in San José del Palmar, Chocó. Its tremors were felt in Bogotá, Cali, Manizales and Pereira, and the seismic waves reached as far as Ecuador and Panama.
Conmebol acted swiftly, suspending the matches on the same day and extending the suspension to the Copa Libertadores clash between Deportes Tolima and Independiente del Valle. The decision underscored the need to protect fans and respect the victims.
Conmebol sets new dates
The two legs will now be played on 19 and 26 August, a full week later than the original calendar. The first leg moves from the planned 12 August slot at El Campín in Bogotá to 19 August, while the return leg remains at the Monumental in Núñez on 26 August, both kick‑off at 21:30 local time.
In an official communiqué, the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol expressed its deepest solidarity with the Colombian people, stating that the suspension was necessary to preserve safety and respect the victims. The statement also referenced Bogot as a shorthand for the capital.
River Plate reshapes squad and calendar
River’s coach Eduardo Coudet trained on Monday with newcomer Thiago Almada, who arrived from Atlético de Madrid. Although Coudet called it “irreal” to expect Almada at 2,600 metres after a break, the Argentine listed him in the squad, replacing Agustín De La Cuesta.
Other changes saw Francisco Ortega, Lucas Beltrán, Giovanni González and Mauro Arambarri omitted, while Tobías Andrada, Nicolás Otamendi, Ángel Correa and Rafael Santos Borré entered the list. River now faces Argentinos Juniors on Sunday at the Monumental before the Sudamericana tie, and the División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano (DIMAYOR) has also suspended its professional league for the week. The quarter‑finals of the Copa Sudamericana are slated for 8–15 September, meaning the Santa Fe‑River series must conclude beforehand.